Rolling-mill



V(1\I0 Model.) I

J. KENNEDY & H Sheet 1.,

ROLL'ING MILL.

No. 412,852. Patented Oct. 15,1889.

N PETERS. Vholo-Lxlhogmplmn Washinglnn. D. c.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. KENNEDY & H. AIKEN.

ROLLING MILL. v No. 412,852. Patented Oct. .15. 1889' (No' Model.)

WTNESSES. INVENTOR.

N. PETERS. Pllolo-Lllhoglaphun Washinglmv. D. C

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3..

J. KENNEDY & H. AIKEN.

- ROLLING MILL. No. 412,852. Patented 001;. 15, 1889.

INVENTOR.

N. wnzns Phom-ljllwgnplmr. Waslungtnn. n. c.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-'-Sheet 4.

J.'*KENNEDY & H. AIKEN.

ROLLING MILL.

N0. 412,852. I Patented Oct. 15, 1889.

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN KENNEDY, OF LATROBE, AND HENRY AIKEN, OF HOMESTEAD,

' PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLING-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,852, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed April 20, 1889. Serial No. 307,948. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULIAN KENNEDY, of Latrobe, in the county of \Vestmoreland, and HENRY AIKEN, of Homestead, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvaniahave invented a new and useful Improvement in Rolls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an end view of our improved mill. Fig. 2 is a front view thereof, the housings on one side of the mill being shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View of the mill, the sect-ion being on the line 111 III of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is an end view of the housings. Fig. 5 is an irregular horizontal section 011 the line V V of Fig. 4.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

Our invention relates to an improvement in universal mills, designed particularly for use in the rolling of flanged beamssuoh as I- beams, channel-beams, and the like; and it consists in certain new forms of construction and combinations of the parts, which are de scribed in this specification, and are particularlyindicated in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, the mill has two horizontal formative rolls 1 2 and two vertical rolls 3 3, all arranged with their axes in substantially the same vertical plane, and all driven by a suitable reversible engine. (Not shown.) The necks of the vertical rolls are journaled in side frames or carriers 4:, composed of strong castings, the inner parts of which are shaped to receive the necks of the rolls, which are held in place in their bearings by caps 17*, bolted to the carriers, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The carriers are suitably flanged and recessed, as shown in these figures, to possess the proper degree of strength, and are set in lateral wings I), which project from the horizontal roll-housings and form boxes or auxiliary housings, at the bases of which the carriers are supported by guideways or flanges b. At the end of each of the wings I) is an end frame or plate 6, through which pass adjusting-screws 7, the ends of which bear on the carrier, and which are connected with each other by gear-wheels 9 and an intermediate gear-wheel 10. The gearwheels 9 are fitted on the screws 7 by featherand-spline connections, and are held in place by a face-plate 11, as shown in Fig. 1. The manner of driving I them will be explained hereinafter in describing the adjustment of the horizontal rolls. Each of the vertical rollcarriers is also preferably provided with a hydraulic cylinder 12, which exerts a continuous force, tending to draw it outward, thus holding it firmly against the ends of the adjusting-screws and preventing loose motion.

The necks of the vertical rolls 3 project below the carriers 4:, and are provided with beveled pinions 13 in gear with pinions 1 1, which are mounted on a horizontal shaft 15 by a feather and spline 16, and are connected with the carriers 4 by straps 17, having at their lower ends forks or boxes which loosely encircle cylindrical necks on the pinions and bear against collars b thereon. When thus arranged, the rotation of the shaft 15 drives the rolls 3 through the pinions 13 and 14, and by reason of the fact that the pinions are carried by the straps 17 in the adjustment of the carriers they are kept constantly in gear.

The bearings of the lower horizontal roll are not fixed in the housings, but are set in place therein, so that the face of the roll shall rest upon and be supported by the horizontal roll 18, which is fixed to the shaft 15, and is j ournaled in stationary or non-adjustable bearings at the base of the housings. The upper horizontal formative roll 1 is set in the housings so that its bearings shall be vertically movable therein, as hereinafter described, and above it is a horizontal drivingroll 19, which rests upon and is upheld by the roll 1, while its necks are provided with bearings 20, interposed between the necks and the lower ends of vertical adj ustingscrews 21.

The manner in which the horizontal rolls are journaled in the housings is as follows: Interposed between the housings, near the base thereof, are two separators 22, each of which consists of a tubular portion 0 and two laterally-projecting wings or bars cl. The bearings 23 of the roll 2 are interposed between the opposite ends of the wings cl, and the separators are secured to the housings by bolts 24. For convenience in making and placing the separators, the tubular portion 0 of each is preferably divided transversely into two parts. The upper portions of the housings are provided with similar separators arranged in like manner, and the bearings 38 of the upper roll 1 are set in the space be tween the ends of the wings d, so as to be vertically movable therein. The bearings of this roll are provided with upwardly-projecting lugs 25, to which are secured the ends of hangers or yokes 26, which extend around the necks of the roll 19, and at their upper ends are connected to a cross-head 27, Fig. 2, suspended from the end of the plunger 28 of a hydraulic cylinder 29. The cylinder and plunger serve as a counter-balance, though obviously a suitable gravity counterbalance may be substituted therefor. It follows from this construction that the roll 1 is suspended from the plunger 28 by means of the crosshead and the hangers, and that the Weight of the driving-roll 19 is supported by the periphery of the roll 1, so that if the screws 21 be raised to permit the plunger to have free vertical action it will lift the roll 1 and the upper roll 19. In practice we prefer to em.- ploy hydraulic power constantly tending to raise the plunger, so that the periphery of the roll 1 is continually in contact with that of the driving-roll, and to adjust the roll 1 vertically in its bearings between the ends of the separators it is necessary only to operate the adjusting screws, since by raising these screws the hydraulic cylinder will raise the roll, and by depressing the screws the roll will be forced down thereby against the power of the cylinder. The necks of the rolls 1 and 2 are very short, the rolls being driven notby individual driving-shafts, but by frictional contact with the outer rolls 18 and 19, the roll 18 being driven by the shaft and the roll 19 being driven by a spindle 30, connected therewith by a coupling-box 31, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In the use of the mill for rolling beams the metal slab or bloom B is placed between the rolls, as shown in Fig. 2, and is passed back and forth between them repeatedly, the upper horizontal roll and the vertical rolls meanwhile being forced inwardly bytheir adjusting mechanism until the beam,with its flanges, is brought to the desired form. The number of passes will vary according to the size of the slab or bloom, the condition of the metal, and the character of the beam to be made.

During the reduction of the beam the stress separators, and when its bearings are detached from the hangers it may be removed from the housings, the roll 19 being first blocked or jacked up in any suitable way. The roll 2 is then raised until its necks are opposite the opening between the upper and lower separators, and is withdrawn through said opening. In this way the rolls may be changed in a short space of time without removing the driving-rolls or dismantling the housings, and as the short-necked rolls are set entirely within the limits of the space between the upright housings it is not necessary to'weaken the latter by forming any special gaps or windows therein. This is a very desirable feature of our improvement, and we intend to claim it broadly.

It remains to describe in detail the adjust ing mechanism of the horizontal rolls and of the vertical rolls. Each of the gear-wheels 10, forming part of the adjusting mechanism of the vertical rolls, is connected by gearing 32 with a vertical shaft 33, at the upper end of which is a pinion 34 in gear with a pinion 35 on a horizontal shaft 36, which is driven by belt-pulleys 37, connected with the shaft by a clutch,by means of which the shaft maybe rotated in either direction, as will be readily understood. The vertical shafts 33 are also connected by gear-wheels 39 39' with pinions 40, fitted on the adjustingscrews 21 with feather and spline, and connected with the top of the housings by means of split collars 41, having internal annular tongues, which fit in peripheral grooves on the exteriors of the gear-wheels. It follows from this construction that driving the gear-wheels in either direction from the shaft 36 will produce motion of the adjusting mechanism both of the vertical and horizontal rolls, which will therefore be adjusted simultaneously and in equal or proportional degrees.

By moving the bearings of the pinion 39 so as to disconnectit from the pinion 39' the latter may be removed and replaced with a pinion of different size, so as to vary the relative rates of adjustment of the vertical and horizontal rolls. In Fig. 3 we show the bearings of the pinion 39 set in a circular groove, in which they are movable around the center of the pinion 41 for this purpose. Any other suitable mechanical appliance for elfecting this result may be employed.

The advantages of our invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The mill is simple and strong in its construction, efficient in its action, and by reason of the facility with which the rolls may be removed and replaced by others of different shape and size of working-face beams of different sizes and forms may be rolled in the mill with loss of but little time.

The mill may be modified in many ways in details of construction by the skilled mechanic without involving a departure from the principles of our invention as stated in the following claims, each of which states an item of inventionunlimited by the qualifications and limitations stated in other claims.

We claim 1. The combination of a forining-roll, an upper driving-roll upheld thereby, and a counter-balance supporting the bearings of the forming-roll, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of a forming-roll, an upper driving-roll upheld thereby, a counterbalance, and hangers encircling the necks of the driving-roll and connected with the bearings of the forming-roll, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of a forming-roll, an upper driving-roll upheld thereby, a counterbalance supporting the bearings of the town ing-roll, and adj Listing-screws for the drivingroll, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a universal mill, the combination of vertical rolls, short-necked horizontal rolls,

outer driving-rolls, and a counter-balance connected with the bearings of the upper short-necked roll, and supporting it, together with the driving-roll, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. The combination of a forming-roll, an upper driving-roll upheldthereby, a counterbalance, a cross-head 27, and hangers encircling the necks of the driving-roll and connected with the bearings of the forming-roll, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. The combination,with the housings and the rolls, of separators interposed between the housings and having between them the bearings of the rolls, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. The combination, with the housings and the rolls, of separators interposed between the housings and having between them the beari n gs of the rolls, and bolts passing through the separators and housings, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a universal mill, the combination of the horizontal roll-housings, side rolls and their carriers, and wings projecting from the sides of the housings, in which the said carriers are movably supported, substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. In auniversal mill, the combination, with the horizontal rolls and side rolls and their adjusting-screws, of common driving mechanism which actuates the adjusting-screws of both horizontal and side rolls, and means whereby'the relative speed of said adjustingscrews may be varied, substantially as and for the purposes described.

10. The combination, with the adjustingscrews 21, of a pinion 40, connected therewith by a traveling connection-such as a feather and spline-and a divided collar, by which the pinion is held to the housing, substan tially as and for the purposes described.

11. The combination, with the upright housings, of forming-rolls-such as the rolls 1 and 2having their necks entirely within the space between the housings, and vertical bars or wings d, between which the necks ot' the rolls are set, substantially as and for the purposes described.

12. The combination, with the peripherally beveled or shaped forming and reducing rolls-such as the rolls 1 and 2one at least of which is frictionally driven, of an outer roll, against which the face of such forming and reducing roll has a bearing, and by which it is frictionally driven, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof we-have hereunto set our hands this 13th day of April, A. D. 1889.

JULIAN KENNEDY.

HENRY AIKEN.

IVitnesses:

W. B. CORWIN, JNo. K. SMITH. 

